The present invention is concerned with management of optical fiber cables. The management device of the present invention has particular application in the telecommunications industry with respect to storage and/or connection of optical fiber cables with other cables and devices.
Cable termination, splice and storage devices are known including, for example, devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,792,203 and 5,946,440, both issued to ADC Telecommunications, Inc. Both of these patents concern devices with moveable trays for storage and management of the optical fiber cables. U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,149, also issued to ADC Telecommunications, Inc., concerns a cable management device including slideable drawers each including a cable slack take-up mechanism.
When moving the trays or drawers, unnecessary or excessive displacement of the optical fiber cables is undesirable. As the optical fiber cables are displaced, they are subject to bending and other forces. Bending of the fibers can cause attenuation and loss of signal strength. As a fiber bends, the fiber can also break, resulting in a loss of transmission through the fiber.
There is a continued need in the art for further cable management devices which address such concerns in the telecommunications industry as ease of use, size, reliability, cost, and protection of the fibers.
A cable management panel includes a chassis, and at least one drawer slideably mounted within the chassis. The drawer is slideable between a first position with the drawer fully inserted within the chassis and a second position with the drawer extended from the interior of the chassis. An access location allows entry and exit of optical fiber cables into a side of the chassis and the drawer. One aspect of the present invention includes a fiber take-up mechanism including a push member slideably mounted on the drawer and further slideably mounted relative to the chassis. The push member is moveable from a first position on the drawer toward a second position on the drawer which is forward of the first position as the drawer is moved from the second position to the first position. A retention member holds the push member relative to the chassis for a portion of movement of the drawer from the second position toward the first position. The retention member releases the push member at an intermediate position so as to allow the push member to move relative to the chassis as the drawer is moved from the intermediate position to the first position.
A further aspect of the present invention concerns the drawer including a front key and a rear slot, and providing a drop-in plate including a notch along a front edge, and a tab along a rear edge where the notch is engageable with the key of the drawer, and the tab is engageable with the slot of the drawer. The drop-in plate includes cable storage or cable connection structure for cables entering the panel.
Another aspect of the present invention includes the drawer having a base and raised side ledges on opposite sides of the drawer, and further including a drop-in plate including a base and two side edges which are positioned adjacent to the side ledges of the drawer. The plate includes two radius limiters, each radius limiter having a portion extending beyond the respective side edges of the base of the plate. Each radius limiter has a notch along a lower edge, the notch extending from each respective side edge of the base of the plate to the side ledge of the drawer.
A further aspect of the present invention concerns a storage tray mount on the drawer having opposed staggered mounting locations, and a plurality of storage trays rotatably mounted to the storage tray mount. The trays and tray mount include a post and hole arrangement for rotatably mounting the trays to the tray mount. One of the trays and the tray mount includes a projection, and the other includes a notch wherein the projection is received in the notch when the tray is pivoted upwardly from a first horizontal position to a second pivoted position at an angle to the horizontal.